White and red ginseng

[Guest guest]

The following is taken from Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica,

Revised

ed., Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble. I'm unable to include the Chinese

characters which are in the book.

 

" Remarks: There are many varieties of Radix Ginseng (ren shen), which

are

differentiated according to where and how it is grown and prepared.

That

grown in the wild, 'wild mountain root' (ye shan shen) or

just 'mountain

root' (shan shen), particularly the variety found in Jilin province

called

'Jilin root' (ji lin shen), is of the best quality. It is also the

most

expensive and is therefore only used in treating very severe

condtions.

 

" There are several types of cultivated ginseng (yuan shen). That

cured in

rock candy, called 'white root' (bai shen) or 'sugar root (tang

shen), is

used in treating patterns of qi and yin deficiency. The small

rootlets of

this variety are called 'root whiskers' (shen xu) and are relatively

inexpensive. Cultivated ginseng not cured in rock candy, called

'fresh-dried root' (sheng shai shen_, also nourishes the yin. In

China it

is sometimes used as a substitute for American ginseng, Radix Panacix

Quinquefolii (xi yang shen). Cultivated ginseng that is cured by

steaming

turns red in color, becomes warmer in nature, and is called 'red

root' (hong

shen). It is used in treating patterns of qi and yang deficiency.

Most

Korean ginseng (gao li shen or chao xian shen) is of the red variety

and is

stronger than that from China. " (p. 315.)

 

Note how the preparation of the ginseng changes its properties. When

cured

with rock candy, the (white) ginseng is tonic to the yin as well as

being a

Qi tonic herb. When steamed, (red) ginseng is used to treat people

who are

Yang Deficient as well as Qi Deficient. (Ginseng is classified as a

Qi

tonic herb.)

 

The thermal energy of ginseng root is slightly warm. When steamed,

ginseng

root becomes more warming that it is. But not all parts of the

ginseng plant

have warming energy.

 

" Addendum: The neck of the ginseng plant, Cervix Ginseng (ren shen

lu), is

traditionally considered to be a mild emetic. It is used to induce

vomiting

if there is an abundance of food stagnation and phlegm, together with

deficiency. In central and southern China, however, this part of the

plant

is used as a mild tonic. Commentators believe this may be due to

diffences

in the type of ginseng used. The leaf of the herb, Flium Ginseng

(ren shen

ye), is bitter, slightly sweet, and cold. It clears summerheat,

generates

fluids, and treats heat or fire from deficiency. It is often used in

treating summerheat with thirst, injury to the fluids due to febrile "

(fever) " diseases, hoarseness associated with Lung heat, insufficient

Stomach yin, and toothache due to fire from deficiency. It is also

used for

alcoholic intoxication. " (p. 317.)

 

Again, we see an example of how different parts of a plant can have

very

different, in some cases even oppostite, properties. Radix (root of)

ginseng warms a person, but the leaves of the plant will cool a

person.

 

Victoria